Flexible mop with flexible back carrying absorbent material and with hinged cover plate



, 2,637,059 FLEXIBLE BACK CARRYING ABsoRBENT Y May"5,' 1953 P. s. vosBlKlAN ErAl.

FLEXIBLE MOP WITH Filed June 13, 1949 MATERIAL AND WITH HINGED COVER PLATE .l

,2S Qentor.

Gftorneg Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,627,059 unaniem 'Mor Wrrn .FLEXIBLE BACK CARRYING AnsoaeENr MATERIAL ANn WITH HINGE!) boven rLA'rE .Peter S. Vosbi-kian and Thomas Vosbikian, Melrose, Pa.

.application rs, 194s, serial No. cases (on .i5-4.19)

3 Claims. l

.in our prior Patent No.. 2,469,060, we have vdisclosed a novel, Iiexible Vmop head, wherein the sponge `iriaterial is provided with Va iieXible back which also as squeegee.

In our it construction of a flexible mop, we provide loi assembling such basic construction with backing members hinged together in a novel manner and cooperating with a novel pressure transmitting member and a handle, with such component parts being retained in assembled condition by a single bolt. Thepressure transmitting member retains the backing members in hinged relationship 'and places a tension on the backing members between their hinged connections and their outer ends.

A bracket carrying an 'auxiliary cleaning tool may also be employed as will be lunderstood from the 4disclosure in our copending application Serial No. @3.032.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as will hereinafter clearly appear, our invention ocmprehends a novel flexible mop.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, we have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment or it which we have found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results. It is, however, to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and the invention is not limited to the exact arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein set forth.

Figure l is a perspective View of a flexible mop embodying our invention, the handle and nut being shown in detached position.

Figure 2 is a section taken on the same line of Figure l as Figure 4 showing the mop in wringing position.

IFigure 3 is a perspective View showing the manner in which certain parts are assembled and having parts broken away.

Figure l is a section on line ll--Ll of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an end elevation with certain parts removed.

Similar numerals oi reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings;

lThe basic construction is shown in Figure 5, which corresponds to our prior Patent No. 2,459,060.

Absorbent sponge material l is secured by adhesive to a flexible back 2, preferably of rubber, and a bolt 3 passes through the back centrally of the ends thereof and through the square, iiattened end l of a handle ii and is provided with a nut E. Opposite marginal portions of the back 2 yhave their under faces tapered as at "l, and overhanging the sponge material to form squeegees.

Combined cover and hinge piates 3 `and 9, of identical construction, have opposite marginal portions deflected downwardly and inwardly to form grooves i0 and Il to slidably receive Vthe back The inner marginal portion 'oi each plate is rolled 'over as at I2 to receive the U-'shaped hinge pins i3 and iii. Near the outer end of plate the material is "deflected to form a raised rib it to facilitate the grasping of the cover plates when extracting liquid from the sponge material. The baci; 2 may have raised ribs it to be received in the groove or recess formed by the deflected portion I5. This rib I6 may ybe omitted, if desired.

In order to retain the hinge pins I3 and I4 in their assembled condition 'with the cover plates an'd at the same time provi-de for their ready removal 'when it is desired to renew the unit formed by the sponge material and its back, we provide a pressure plate ll having at opposite si-des downwardly deiiected ends to overhang the hinge pins and retain them in assembled condition with the plates 8 and Si, as shown at I8 and i9. Opposite marginal portions of the pressure plate are bent downwardly at an angle to bear against the cover plates intermediate their ends as will be understood from Figure l in which the cover plates are in longitudinal alignment. These bent portions are shown at El! and 2l. The pressure plate Il has two parallel raised ribs 22 and 23 spaced to receive the square end of the handle at different angular positions of the handle relative to the pressure plate. The pressure plate is apertured at 24 to receive the bolt 3.

In assembling the cover plates 8 and 9, one plate is slid on one end portion of the back and the other plate is slid on the other end portion. The back 2 is sufficiently flexible to permit the raised ribs I6 to pass into the grooves formed by the deflected portions I5 of the cover plates. The

hinge pins I3 and It are then inserted into thev apertures formed by the rolled portions l2. The pressure plate is then applied, the bolt passing through the aperture 2t and the tabs formed by the end portions I3 and lil overhang the hinge pins. The handle is located on the bolt and can be positioned in alignment with the longitudinal axis or the transverse axis of the mop, since the square end of the handle accurately ts the space between the ribs 22 and 23 which prevent angular displacement of the handle on the pressure l plate.

When a new unit of sponge material and back is to be assembled, the cover plates are removed as well as the pressure plate and the handle and a new unit can be assembled, as is apparent.

The liquid absorbed by the sponge material can be removed by pressing the cover plates downwardly and towards each other as will be understood from Figure 2, or the sponge material can be pressed against a conventional strainer. The raised ribs on the cover plates facilitate the grasping of the cover plates and prevents the slipping of the fingers thereon.

It will be apparent that the sponge material and back can be bent downwardly but their upward bending is restricted by the pressure plate. However, if it is desired to use the mop on irregular surfaces such as for example a basin or tub, or the floor and a base board, the handle can be applied directly to the unit of sponge material and back, or the unit can be grasped in the hand without using the handle.

While we have preferred to show two pintles inserted into knuckles, it is evident that one can be used with the two arms of greater length than those illustrated.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mop, a block of absorbent material, a flexible back xed to the top of the block, cover plates having grooves at opposite marginal portions to slidably receive said back, the inner ends of said cover plates being spaced from each other and deflected to form loops, pintles of U- shaped formation inserted into said loops, a

pressure plate overhanging the inner ends of said cover plates and having downwardly deiiected portions to limit pivotal movements in one direction of the back and block, and having downwardly deflected anges to overhang the pintles and prevent their accidental removal, said cover plates having transversely extending grooves near their outer ends, said back having near its outer ends raised ribs to be received in said grooves and extending transversely of the 4 back, a handle, and a fastening device carried by the back midway of its ends and passing through the pressure plate and handle to secure the back and its block, the pressure plate and the handle in assembled condition.

2. In a mop, a block of sponge material, a back secured to the top face of the block, spaced cover plates connected with the back, the inner juxtaposed ends of the cover plates being hinged together in spaced relationship, a pressure plate extending across the space between the inner ends of the cover plates and having overhanging portions to contact each cover plate to limit their upward movement, the hinges having pintles and the cover plates having end marginal portions deected to contact the pintles to maintain the pintles in assembled condition, a handle having its lower end seated on top of the pressure plate, a bolt passing upwardly through the back, between the hinges, and through the pressure plate and the handle, and a nut for the bolt. 3. The construction defined in claim 2, wherein the back is longitudinally slidable in the cover plates and the back and cover plates have common thereto interlocking ribs and recesses.

PETER S. VOSBIKIAN. THOMAS S. VOSBIKIAN References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,761,180 Cave et al. June 3, 1930 2,044,075 Jelenfy June 16, 1936 2,153,601 Vaughn Apr. 11, 1939 2,204,806 Lorenz et al June 18, 1940 2,449,281 Dalton Sept. 14, 1948 2,469,060 Vosbikian et al. May 3, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 596,139 Germany Apr. 27, 1934 617,197 Germany Aug. 14, 1935 

